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Sunday, 19 August 2012

This has been going around (like the flu) so I thought I would have a go! Brace yourselves...1. Favorite Wargaming period and why?

I am a massive fan of any wargaming where my imagination can run riot creating colorful characters and factions. It also has to allow me to insert lots of silliness. Post Apocalyptic, Sci-Fi and VSF/Steampunk. VSF Steampunk also get some extra as you get to make silly machines and other what not.

2. Next period, money no object?

It would be massive investment in VSF. I have wayyyy too many ideas in my nut for that setting. I also fancy a stone age setting.

3. Favourite 5 films?

Mad Max 1-3 (I know I am cheating but hey!)

Alien (s)

Doomsday

Serenity

Life of Brian

4. Favourite 5 TV series?

Firefly

True Blood

Father Ted

Blackadder

How I met your Mother. If I cheat I would add Monty Python too.

5. Favourite book and author?

I thought this was going to be difficult as I love books and read quite a bit. But it has to be Terry Pratchett. I cant pick my favourite book by him.

Metro 2033, Killing moon and the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness are also contenders.

6. Greatest General? Can’t count yourself!!

Genghis Khan?

7. Favourite Wargames rules?

Neutron York 3000, Skank and Nuclear Renaissance 2.

8. Favourite Sport and team?

Not really a sports fan. I quite like Rugby but I am not a fan. I dont support a team. If Football (soccer) then I have to support Everton by default...or my wife will kill me! lol!

9. If you had a only use once time machine, when and where would you go?

Oooohhhhh so many times. Early Iron Age Britain maybe. Or Mongolia to meet Genghis Khan perhaps? I can hear him now complaining about bloody Scousers turning up everywhere! ha ha ha!

10. Last meal on Death Row?

It would have to be a bowl of Scouse with pickled red cabbage, beetroot and crusty bread! You just cant beat it.

11. Fantasy relationship and why?

This is the one that gets me into trouble...too many ladies...To go totally geeky..Durham Red from 2000AD. I guess any alternative chick with attitude does me.

12. If your life were a movie, who would play you?

No idea...but a friend describes me as a shaved Haggrad...thanks! (you know who you are!).

13. Favourite Comic Superhero?

Not really super heros but I always liked Judge Dredd or Johnny Alpha.

14. Favourite Military quote?

Nope I dont have one.

15. Historical destination to visit?

Newgrange in Ireland.

16. Biggest Wargaming regret?

Giving the hobby up for a few years while I chased ladies and rode a collection of matt black motorbikes around....I dont regret doing those things, I just wish I had kept my hand in. I missed out on some cool minis in the 90's.

17. Favourite Fantasy job?

Its go to be building the types of cars and motorbikes you see in the likes of Mad Max and Doomsday for real and getting to drive them!

18. Favourite Song Top 5?

Too many to list. I like a lot of Rock n Metal music.

19. Favourite Wargaming Moment?

Seeing the Aryanriche Nazis getting a kicking from a bunch of Smoggers. Great!

As my British Post Apoc setting has alien jungles and I hope to start a VSF Venus setting some day I decided to get some made. These are plastic aquarium plants based on washers. 1. Take a metal washer - wash it washing up liquid (how many times can I get wash into a sentence! ha ha ha!)2. Dry it and cove the hole with tape. 3. Cover one side with PVA glue and cover with sand. 4. When dry paint the base in your chosen base coat.5. Chop plants and hot glue them on in clusters.6. Paint the hot glue lumps.Easy, quick and effective. Oh one other tip, get your plants form a local shop not GW. They are far cheaper.

One Eye got his name by losing an eye during his service with the British Army. He was retired and kept busy as a Army Cadet instructor. When the end came he and the cadets where acting as a reserve in the barracks where they where based. After three days there was no contact from the deployed forces. Assuming that they where lost and they where forgotten about he lead the scared boys (and the barracks Caretaker and Daughters) to another TA Barracks three miles away crossing a crater and bombed out ruins with the hope of picking up similar survivors.

The Barracks was deserted and looked as if the survivors has retreated. As they could drive any of the remaining vehicles they would have to head to the local base outside the city, 10 miles away.

On the way they passed Seaforth container base to find that a massive fort had been built from ships cargo containers. The boys where challenged. One Eye explained that they where headed to Altcar Base. The people manning the fort told him that the next four miles was over run with virals and triffids. There was no way boys with bolt action rifles could make it through. One eye and the boys joined Seaforth and now provide some the Rebuilders faction's security. The mini is a Hasslefree Corba.

The friendly (and annoying) little Robot known as a Claptrap is around to help, give information and be annoying. These guys often find themselves being used for target practise! Although he will be used in my Sci-Fi games there is a chance that MBW may still have one or two of these fellas still running about. The model is a Friendly Robot by Black Cat Bases.

What is a Post Apoc setting with out a couple of Fallout style Vault Dwellers?

This pair are to be used in various ways. Vault defenders, adventurers or guns for hire. The lady is a repainted clix. The guy is a Necromunda Van Sarr figure. He is sporting some sort of modified Vault Suit. Maybe its some fancy intelligent armour?

Liberty City employs several Freelancers to do all manner of dirty work. Mad Rab is a Pictsie Tribal and loves fighting. So the city are keen to employ him as extra muscle for those dirty (and dangerous) jobs that need doing. He has been known when drunk (which is nearly always) to pick a fight with himself if there is nothing to fight.

I have a host of Post Apoc Rat Men that I call the Vermen. They are largely made up of old Shockforce Gothrats and GW Skaven conversions. I decided that they needed a little more support fire power so I added this GW Skaven Ratling Gun.

Sunday, 12 August 2012

Real life has kept me away from my computer for the last couple of weeks (there will be a large update of minis too when I get to take pictures). In that time I have started toying with a new setting. Inspired by my friend Xander's British Post Apocalypse I have decided to dive into the Retro Post Apocalyptic setting too.

I have decided to use Xander’s setting (basically a world destroyed by a comet, meteors, alien plant life and a virus) set in the early 1980’s. As he is concentrating on the area’s around where he lives I am working on the area’s around Liverpool.

Its been fun researching what was around back then, even if I do remember it. The UK still has stashes of WW2 era kit (many Army and Navy stores still sold it) including Bren Guns and Lee Enfield No4 Rifles. So mixing WW2 and Cold War UK minis should work fine. It was a era before the UK banned automatic weapons so those with gun licenses could pick up certain assault rifles from shops. The other main weapon would be the double barreled shotgun.

The down side is so many post apocalyptic minis seem to be armed with sci-fi, ultra modern or SMG/assault rifles not used by the UK at that time. As I see my setting with many home made weapons I plan on re-arming some of my minis to make a more fitting force.

The map of the city has been drawn up randomly using dice rolls to give a feel of just where the survivors have set up. This also gives a feel to how the suriving factions may look.

There is terrain differences too.

Triffid infested would be some sort of area overgrown with strange alien plants giving it a alien jungle feel. There are some carnivorous plants in there in addition to Triffids. My collection already has the excellent Ramshackle Mutant Plants but I am currently working on jungle terrain for this!. Of course this jungle will be put into use for Venus and my Sci-Fi setting.

Viral terrain is either over grown with weeds or lightly to medium damaged/run down/abandoned looking. In my minds eye it reminds me of Stalker and the areas with Snorks.

Meteor terrain is a crater with the flattened buildings and other associated damage caused. These areas have triffids and virals.

Danger Zones are areas with other dangers. Wild Dogs, Purples, big cats and other dangers. The Big Cats and some of the wild dogs escaped the Safari Park outside the city. It not unusual to find Zebra or Antelope wandering about. There are some stories of Rhinos too.

Dust Zones where hit with toxins and chemicals to destroy Triffids. It killed everything else too.

Surviving rural areas are overgrown with trees taking advantage of the lack of grasses (in the setting there is a virus that kills all grass crops). Some are tended by survivors growing limited crops of veggies. There is some chance of running into a wandering wilddog, big cat, viral or triffid.

Surviving urban areas are lightly damaged or age worn and overgrown. Most are abandoned providing good scavenging opportunities (there are simply enough people to populate them). Others turned into fortified villages. There is some chance of running into a wandering wilddog, big cat, viral or triffid.

Destroyed ruins. These places where bombarded with napalm and high explosives to try to stop the Virals and Triffids. Scavenging here is not impossible but requires work to dig it out and the quality of a find may be low. There is some chance of running into a wandering wilddog, big cat, viral or triffid.

Nuked Ruins. As things got out of hand and desperate Nukes where used to limit the spread of virals and triffids. While this destroyed the pests the radiation seemed to boost the alien plants. They are growing strong in these areas. Residual radiation makes these places no gos for many.

I will be needing some new terrain bits (shame that!). Post Boxes and Telephone boxes are typically British. That will add a bit of flavor to the setting. Watch this space.

In the last part of the story - Fast Eddie and crew did a runner from the Skrap Wastes with a Scav town gang of enforcers (Kneecappers crew) hot on their tails. Things didn't work out too well for Kneecapper's crew. Fast Eddies crew saw them off but suffered heavy casualties but only one fatality. Now for the next part of the tale...Capbag's Heros!